Jewel setting tool for assembly of watch parts



Dec. 22, 1953 o. E. MILLER 2,663,207

JEWEL SETTING TOOL FOR ASSEMBLY OF WATCH PARTS Filed Jan. 7, 1949 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY O. E. MILLER JEWEL SETTING TOOL FOR ASSEMBLY OF WATCH PARTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 7, 1949 l 1' I I L INVENTOB 04M 6 77% ATTO R N EY Patented Dec. 22, 1953 OFFIC JEWEL SETTING TOOL FOR ASSEMBLY OF WATCH PARTS Oram E. Miller. Willow Grove, Pa. Application January 7, 1949, Serial No. 69,655

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to tools used by watchmakers in the repair of watches and is more (iirectly concerned with quipment used for setting the roller jewels or impulse pins in balance wheels.

The mounting of a roller jewel in a balance assembly is normally a very delicate procedure involving the selection of a suitable small jewel pin and by means of tweezers inserting this in the small hole provided in the roller of a balance wheel unit. This impulse pin must be carefully positioned to extend perpendicular to the. impulse roller and to project the proper distance therefrom. While being maintained in this position it must be set for retention by means of a small amount of shellac or other cement which may be used to retain the jewel. Heat must be applied and upon cooling the shellac or cement hardens to provide proper retention of the pin. It'is essential that the impulse or ruby pin be maintained in accurat position until the setting operation has been completed. setting and securely cementing the roller jewel in perfectly upright position in the roller has always been an exacting operation and with the modern very small watches has become a particularly diflicult and tedious process. One of the common difilculties is the holding of the jewel safely during the trial fitting and selection process and frequently several jewels may be dropped and lost before one is correctly fitted.

The present invention has as a primary object the provision of an apparatus which is especially adapted 'to assist in the selection, setting and cementing of the roller jewel in a fashion which overcomes the difficulties encountered in hand setting operations.

It is an important object of the invention to provide equipment which is suitable for use'on a large range of sizes and types of jewel pins in the roller, regardless as to whether or not the roller is mounted on the balance staff.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a combination of retention and adjustingmechanism for properly locating the jewel with respect to the roller and adjacent parts and securely holding the jewel while the complete setting and cementing operation takes place. For adjusting the jewel to the precise height in the roller an adjustable screw member is located directly under the retention mechanism so that this adjusting feature also serves an added safety function in preventing the jewel from dropping through.

; A still f ther o je t v h nv ntiQ i in the direction of arrows 3-3, Figure 1, drawn 1 to a larger scale than Figure 1.

2 provision of apparatus which includes parts arranged so as to accommodate many different sizes and types of rollers or balance wheels without the need for additional loose accessory parts which might become lost.

How the foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are accomplished will be clear from the following description of the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view to an enlarged scale of the apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the jewel setting parts as indicated by arrows 2-2, Figure 1. drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1. Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the jaws of the clamping device illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan view of an alternative form of the invention drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 77,' Figure v5.

Referringto Figures 1-4, it will be seen that the device includes a plate 5 on which the mechanism for the jewel setting operation is mounted. The handle 6 is connected with the plate 5 by means of an extension shaft 1. Legs 8 and 8a are attached to the plate 5 to support the plate 5 above the work surface when the apparatus is laid upon the work bench.

In order to hold the jewel pin securely While it is being inserted and set in position in a balance assembly, a pair of jaws 9 and Ill are mounted on the plate 5. A suitable slot l i which has a width and depth to accurately fit the jaws 9 and it, is

provided in the upper surface of the table 5. One

jaw 9 of the pair is normally held rigidly in position by means of the screw l2 which applies a clamping action between the jaw member 9 and the plate or table 5. The other jaw It is retained in contact with the table 5 by means of the shoulder screw 13 which is so fitted that sliding motion of the jaw I0 is permitted in the slot ll. Oversize hole I3a allows sufiicient axial movement of the jaw [0. A spring [4 is provided to engage the screw [3 and urge it into closed position toward thefirst jaw member 9. Spring 14 which may be conveniently made from spring wire is held in active position by means of the leg 8a which is screwed into the plate 5.

In order to withdraw the jaw 58 from contact Withthe jaw 9 a thumb screw 15 is provided which is threaded through a lug l6 preferably formed as part of the sliding jaw Iii. The adjusting screw it is located in line with the plate 5 so that it may contact the edge of the plate. Thus, by turning screw 15 the jaw l may be opened against the pressure of spring 14.

In order to provide a support underneath the jewel while it is retained in the jaws, a thumb screw I! is mounted so that it may be moved into position immediately underneath the openings in the jaws in which the jewel pins may be retained during the setting operation. As illustrated in Figure 1, two jaw openings of different sizes are indicated at E8 and 19. In order to allow moving the adjustable supporting screw H to a position under either of the jaw openings it or iii, the screw it is supported in a movable holder 23. The support 20 is provided with an aperture to fit over the head of screw i2 so that it may pivot thereon to the different positions for the screw H. The holder :26 projects beyond the edge of the plate at 20a to form a handle which may be moved to the desired position. The holder member 283 is held in proper position by means of spring 2i, which in turn is clamped under leg 3. The spring M which preferably has two legs as indicated, not only supports the member 28 in position but also produces a frictional restraint suiiicient to maintain the member 20 in any position to which it may be moved by operation of the extension 26a. A limiting position pin 22 provides for proper registry of the screw l! with each of the jaw openings.

It will be observed that this construction wherein the member 2% is located by the head of screw 12, permits the screw i2 to be loosened and the jaw ll shifted to another position, the member 28 thus being moved correspondingly to maintain its proper relative location with respect to the jaw openings l8 and Hi. Such adjustment may some times be necessary for handling unusual sized jewels and is made possible in the present apparatus by the provisions of an oversized hole 23 in the plate 5.

In Figures 1 and 2, a balance wheel has been A shown in position on the apparatus in dotted outline. A balance wheel assembly has also been indicated in Figure 3 in full outline. The balance wheel assembly 24 includes a roller table 25 into which the jewel pin 26 is set. The assembly indicated also includes a second roller 21 although some constructions include only a single roller. Either single or double construction may be accommodated in the present jewel setting apparatus. In Figure 4, the shape of the jaws has been clearly indicated, this being generally V'shaped with one side approximately parallel to the sides of the jaws 9 and ID, that is, perpendicular to the adjacent edges of the jaw plates. These sides are indicated at Ida and We. The jewel 26 has been indicated in Figure 4 also and it will be seen that this is of D cross-section and is supported with the flat side against the parallel edge of the Vjaws. While this is the usual shape for the jewel pin, sometimes these pins may be made cylindrical or triangular. The jaws illustrated are capable of handling pins of such alternate shapes satisfactorily.

Immediately below the jaw openings there is a slot 28 provided in the plate 5. This slot extends beyond the edges of the jaws 9 and IE3 and at one side forms a generally cylindrical opening 280. which is sufficiently large to accommodate all of the larger sized watch balance wheel assemblies. The opening 282) at the opposite side of the jaws 9 and I6 is proportioned to accommodate balance wheel assemblies for small watches. Referring particularly to Figure 3 it will be seen that the jewel pin 26 is supported in proper position in the jaws at openings la, the screw ll having been adjusted to retain jewel 26 so that it will properly clear the mechanism which may be aligned with the roller 2'1. The roller plate 25 is, of course, provided with an aperture properly shaped to take the D-shaped jewel pin. It will be noted that, as indicated in Figure 3, the jaw member 9 is tapered locally in the region of the opening 19 so that it is thinner than at the opening it. In this way the shorter jewel pins required for the very small watches may be properly positioned by adjusting screw In order to provide adequate clearance for any normal roller assembly the jaw members 9 and it are provided with arcuate edge depressions 29 and 30. These are clearly shown in Figure and it will be obvious that the hub portion of an assembly may closely approach the notches l8 and 19 which hold the jewels.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 7, it willbe seen that a somewhat different form of apparatus has been shown. Here the base-plate is in the form of two separate parts 3| and 32, these members being arranged to include the jaw parts as an integral part of their structure. A shank 33 is extended from the plate 3i to permit the attachment of handle as. Plate 3! may be shaped with an extension Sla which lies above an offset portion 32a of the plate 32. The offset portion 32a may be shaped as indicated at 32?) in dotted outline. Assembly plate members 35 are provided to maintain the upper and lower surfaces of the plates 3i and 32 in proper rela-- tive position so that they are in accurate alignment. The plate 32 is 'pivotally connected to the plate 3! by pivot member 38 in a fashion to permit swinging the plate 32 slightly to dotted outline position 320.

Notched jaws 3'! and 38 are formed in members 3! and 32 to hold different sized jewel pins for the setting operation. As will be observed in Figure 5, one side 37a, 38a of each notch 3'5, 53, is perpendicular to the edge of the plates in the same relationship as shown in Figure 4. The openings 39 and 49 formed in members 3| and 32 adjacent the jaw notches 3i andtii are-for the purpose of accommodating the rollers of a balance wheel during the operation of setting a jewel pin. As will be more clearly seen in Figure 7, the thickness of plates 3! and 32 is considerably reduced in the region of the jaws '3? and st in order that a short jewel such as indicated by numeral 2'6, may be supported therein and project through the plate so that it may be positioned by one of the adjusting screws 4!. In this manner the proper degree of jewel projection is readily obtained to suit the balance wheel roller in which it is to be set. It will be noted that two adjusting screws ii are provided, one lo" cated under each of the notches 37 and'til thereby providing for supporting a jewel at either position. As in the first form of the apparatus described, th different sized notches take care of a wide range of sizes of balance wheels. The screws M are supported in a bracket 42 which'is connectedto the under side of base-plate 32.

Bracket 42 is made with a certain degree of flexibility so that excessive pressure cannot be developed in applying adjustment to the jewel pin. In order tc-retain the jaws in closed clamping position a cantilever spring 43 engages projection 44 of the plate member 32. The opposite end of spring 43 is firmly held in position by handle 34 into which it extends. An adjusting screw 45 is threaded through the extension 33, thereby providing for opening of the jaws against the pressure of spring 43. With this construction the clamping pressure holding a jewel in position in the jaw 37 or the jaw 38 is limited by the action of the spring 43, thereby preventing damage to the jewel.

A pair of legs i646 is attached to the plates 3! and 32 as illustrated to permit setting the apparatus down upon a workbench while preventing the adjusting screws 4! from contacting the supporting surface.

In using the equipment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 for setting a jewel, the adjusting screw I7 is moved under the particular notch which is to be used. In the drawing the larger notch I8 is shown in use. The jaw adjusting screw I is then turned to open the jaws slightly, and a jewel pin is selected and set in place in the jaws using tweezers. Since the jaws are open to provide an easy fit of the jewel in the notch and since the adjusting screw i1 is directly underneath the notch, there is little danger of losing the jewel, no accurate positioning being required. Once the jewel is in position in the jaws the adjusting screw [5 is released so that the spring l4 causes the jaw 9 to move into position and apply a gentle clamping action, holding the jewel securely in the notch. The jewel may be inserted either into a roller assembly without the balance wheel or may be inserted into the roller with the complete balance wheel assembly as illustrated in the drawings. The balance wheel is easily moved into position so that the hole in the roller for retaining the jewel comes into registry with the portion of the jewel projecting above the jaws 9 and Ill. At this stage the adjusting screw ll may be operated to provide for the correct amount of projection of the jewel pin 26 with respect to the roller. Since the jaws support the jewel pin in an accurate position which is perpendicular to the face of the plate 5, no time is lost in properly positioning the jewel with respect to the roller plate 25. In order to set the jewel in position in the roller against dislodgment a small particle of shellac or other suitable cement is applied to the end of the roller and the plate 5 is then heated over a small flame sufficient to melt the shellac and cause it to penetrate into the hole in the roller 25. The device with the balance wheel in position is then set aside and permitted to cool so that the shellac will set and hold the jewel pin firmly in position. When this has occurred the adjusting screw [5 may be turned to open the jaws and permit removal of the balance wheel assembly. The method of applying heat to the plate as described above is particularly advantageous since it assures that an even heat is applied to the roller directly from the plate, there being no danger of damage to the balance wheel or associated parts due to accidental local over-heating such as might occur if the heat were applied directly.

From the description of the apparatus of Figures 5 to 7 and from the description of the method of using the first form of invention, it will be obvious how the second form operates. In the second form of the invention the jaws move due to the pivotal action of the plate 32 under the influence of the adjusting screw 45 and the spring 43.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that I have provided a simple and versatile tool for use in the setting of jewel pins in watch mechanism. By means of this device the time required for the operation of setting a jewel pin is greatly reduced and accurate setting is assured. The diiiiculty of holding a jewel safely during the trial fitting and selection process has been overcome by providing the notched edges with the bottom adjusting screw which prevents the jewel from falling through and becoming lost. The additional function of the adjusting screw in providing for accurate setting of the height of the jewel provides important advantages. Further, since the jaws are accurately shaped to properly engage the jewel pin there is little danger of the jewel pin being lost due to snapping out of position as it often does when tweezers are .used for the setting operation. The use of a light spring for clamping the jewel prevents damage such as might occur if direct acting clamping devices were used. The incorpora tion of two sizes of notches in the same set of jaws with different size openings to permit the support of different sized roller plates, provides in a single tool for the handling of a complete range of watch sizes. The particular mounting of the height adjusting screw for two-position operation and the arrangement for supporting both the height adjusting mechanism and the normal stationary jaw permits further advantages for simple adjustment of parts. In the form having pivotal plates a minimum number of parts is needed.

I claim:

1. A jewel setting tool for use in the assembly of watch parts including a horizontal plate member, a vise jaw fixed to said plate member, a second vise jaw supported on said plate member for movement toward and away from said first jaw, each of said jaws having a matching notch to accommodate jewels and the plate member having an opening near each pair of notches to accommodate a roller plate.

2. A jewel setting tool for use in the assembly of watch parts including a plate member having a handle attached thereto, a vise jaw supported on said plate member, a second vise jaw movably mounted with respect to said plate member and adjustable toward and away from said first jaw, each of said vise jaws having a V-shaped notch in opposed relationship adapted to engage a jewel pin, said plate member having a cut-out to accommodate a balance wheel assembly adjacent said jaws.

3. A jewel setting tool having a pair of plate members, a pivot device connecting said members, a pair of complementary notches in the edges of said plate members adapted to form jaws for supporting a jewel, additional complementary notches of semi-circular shape in the edges of said members adjacent said first mentioned notches to accommodate the roller plate of a balance wheel, one of said plate members having a handle, a spring reacting between said plate members to urge them into clamping position, a manually controlled element for separating said members against the spring pressure, and an adjustable threaded device extending perpendicular to said plate members and attached to the under side of one of said plate members adjacent the first mentioned notches, said device forming a support which may be moved toward or away from said plate members to permit adjustment of the amount of projection of a jewel held in the jaws.

{1. A jewel setting tool having a pair of plate members connected together by a pivot in edgeto-edge relationship, a handle attached to one of said plates, a spring element reacting between said plates to urge them together, complementary V-shaped notches in the edges of said plates to form jaws for holding a jewel pin, one side of each of said notches being substantially perpendicular to the adjacent edges of said plates, a semi-circular notch in the edge of each plate 'arranged to form a circular opening near said v-notohes to provide for positioning a roller plate of a balance wheel, an adjustable jewel pin projection stop supported on one of said plates near said l-notohes and having a screw device extending perpendicular to the plane of said plate members to provide adjustment in a direction toward and away from said plate.

' ORAM E. MILLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 15 Number Name Date Owens Apr. 26, 1898 Miller Sept. 10, 1907 Krei'mendahl et a1. Mar. 28, 1911 Smith Apr. 30, 1912 Brooke Nov. 26, 1912 Culman Apr. 2, 1918 Baptist Mar. 8, 1921 Calame Aug. 11, 1925 Johnson Mar. 3, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Apr. 1, 1925 Great Britain Oct. 25, 1948 

